Hijab-wearing woman describes San Jose State attack

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Students at San Jose State University gather Wednesday morning in front of the Tommie Smith and John Carlos statue following the election of Republican Donald Trump as president. (Jason Green / Bay Area News Group)

SAN JOSE — Esra Altun was walking back to her car at San Jose State University on Wednesday afternoon when someone grabbed her hijab from behind and yanked it backward.

The 19-year-old sophomore psychology student struggled to breathe as the man pulled hard at her head scarf inside the third floor of the West Garage at Fourth and San Salvador streets.

Esra Altun

“I was trying to gasp for air,” Altun said. “I couldn’t say or do anything. I was paralyzed.”

The attack lasted just a few seconds. Altun fought back by leaning forward, and when her attacker let go she fell hard to her knees. The man did not say a word, she said.

The attack came a day after the election of Republican Donald Trump, who at one point proposed a temporary ban on the immigration of Muslims to the United States.

University police told Altun they could not treat it as a hate crime, but she believes it was racially motivated.

“It happened a day after Trump was announced as president-elect,” Altun said. “If it was for another reason, it’s such a weird coincidence.”

University President Mary Papazian said she also found the attack troubling.

“I think our students have the perception that they were targeted because of their faith,” Papazian said. “Whether or not it rises to the literal level of what a hate crime would be, it certainly is something that we have to pay attention to. And we need to make sure that we have the conversations on campus about how our students of various backgrounds, orientations and affinities are feeling in a time when our nation is having a very dynamic conversation around these issues.”

There were no cameras in the part of the garage where the attack took place, and Papazian said the college planned to study adding them.

Similar attacks have been reported elsewhere, including at San Diego State University, where a Muslim student was assaulted and robbed in a campus parking lot. Authorities say the woman, who was wearing a hijab, was targeted because of her faith and that the suspects made comments about Trump’s election, according to the Associated Press. The assault and robbery is being investigated as a hate crime.

San Jose State University police issued a campus alert Wednesday about the attack on Altun, which happened around 1:15 p.m. She was walking with a group of friends from the Student Union to the garage. She opened her trunk to get something when her hijab was yanked backward.

Doaa Abdelrahman, president of the college’s Muslim Student Association, also believes the attack was related to the election and Trump’s campaign. She said racism has always existed, but now “it’s fueled by Trump.”

“I’ve experienced racism for my religion since age 9,” Abdelrahman said. “I think Trump is the cause of a lot of segregation and division between people. I think racism always occurs around the world, This is a topic that needs to be addressed. I’m glad it’s out in the surface.”

University spokeswoman Pat Harris said the case remains under investigation and encouraged anyone with information to step forward.

“We are of course very concerned that this has occurred on our campus. No one should experience this kind of behavior at San Jose State,” said Harris, adding that the college “encourages faculty, staff, and students to report all incidents so that we can track trends and respond appropriately in addition to conducting investigations of all cases.”

In the first 24 hours after the attack, Altun said she has received tremendous support from the campus community, including people offering to walk her to her car.

“On Twitter, people were posting about it and they were outraged,” she said. “They don’t even know who I am. That’s an amazing thing to see. And I hope that support goes out to every group that needs it.”

Anyone with information about the case can contact the San Jose State University Police Department at 408-924-2222. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call or text 408-337-2919 or email sjsu@tipnow.org.

Jason Green is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group. He works week nights and spends most of his time covering crime and public safety. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara and the University of Southern California, he cut his teeth at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the Palo Alto Daily News, and has been with the Bay Area News Group since its inception.